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Michelangelo's masterpiece statue "David" is in great danger of collapsing due to its weak ankles and structure's 5.5-ton weight. Scientists have confirmed that cracks in heels of giant 5.17-metre-tall iconic statue make it susceptible to crumbling under its own weight. cracks have become statue's Achilles heel. Tests carried out by Italy's National Research Council and Florence University confirmed existence of whole series of "micro-fractures" that have weakened David's ankles. number of factors have led to this weakening. These include poor quality of marble and fact that statue has been leaning at angle for centuries, and vibrations from traffic and museum visitors.

sculptor Michelangelo spent three years creating David between 1501 and 1504. He was just 26 when he embarked on project. statue depicts biblical hero who killed giant Goliath. It was commissioned by rulers of Florence as a symbol of city's commercial and military strength. It was unveiled to public on the 8th of September, 1504 and remained on display outside in Piazza della Signoria for 350 years. It was moved indoors in 1873 to protect it from elements. Art lovers have been calling for years for the statue to be relocated to the safety of purpose-built, earthquake proof museum to insulate it from vibrations from traffic and road construction.